Inside the GH Test Kitchen

An exclusive behind-the-scenes peek!

In a typical month, our food department buys $2,241 worth of groceries, conducts 143 taste tests, and washes 6,481 dishes — and that's just a fraction of what they do. Here, they dish up the behind-the-scenes sizzle.

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Triple-Test Promise

Triple-Test Promise

The multitasking, multitalented food department — their expertise encompasses stints at top restaurants and degrees from culinary colleges — produces more than 30 original recipes for every issue of the magazine.

Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea

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Triple-Tested Recipes

Triple-Tested Recipes

Recipes are developed in Good Housekeeping's gleaming, glass-walled kitchen on the 29th floor of the Hearst Tower in New York City. Each dish takes months to plan, test, and tweak before it's thoroughly doable and delicious.

Triple-Test Promise

The multitasking, multitalented food department — their expertise encompasses stints at top restaurants and degrees from culinary colleges — produces more than 30 original recipes for every issue of the magazine.

Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea

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Triple-Tested Recipes

Recipes are developed in Good Housekeeping's gleaming, glass-walled kitchen on the 29th floor of the Hearst Tower in New York City. Each dish takes months to plan, test, and tweak before it's thoroughly doable and delicious.

Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea

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The Life of a Recipe

A paper trail traces the 16-week evolution of a recipe.

Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea

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Team Work

The staff pitches in to prep ingredients before cooking commences.

Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea

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Practice Makes Perfect

Jessica Fox, editorial assistant, conducts a trial run of the Gingery Salmon Bake.

Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea

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Ready, Set, Cook!

1. Detox Your Kitchen

Clear your cupboards, fridge, and freezer of the foods you know will get you in trouble, and instead stock up on healthy and tasty options you and your family will enjoy. Conduct your own in-house taste tests — ask your family to get involved, try new lower-calorie recipes and new foods, and gain a new (and healthy!) weight-loss perspective.

Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea

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Slice and Dice

The kitchen relies heavily on its knives. They're sharpened twice a month so they're always in tip-top shape.

Kate Sears

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Smart Sampling

Everyone always asks: How does the food department keep off the weight, since they're constantly tasting recipes — even drinking wine? (No, they don't spit out the food.) They eat strategically — skipping lunch if sweets are on that day's tasting menu — and take only a few bites of a dish.